Holdback.



PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

C. W. GOLLYER. HOLDBAGK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1904.

5 Fifi NITED I STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. COLLYER, OF RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK E. CALLER, OF HYDEPARK, MASSACHU- SETTS, AND ONE-HALF TO HERBERT M. BRIGGS, OF RANDOLPH,

MASSACHUSETTS.

HOLDBACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 793,420. dated June 27, 1905.

ApplicatiOll filed October 31, 1904. Serial No- 230,622.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. CoLLYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Randolph, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holdbacks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to holdbacks for vehicles, and more particularly to certain improvements on the holdback disclosed in my Letters Patent of the United States, No. 570,327, of December 5, 1893; and its object is to provide a device of this character in which the retaining-bail may be securely fastened to prevent the release of the shaft-lug or breeching-strap, and thus avoid accidents.

To the above ends the present invention consists of the improved holdback which will now be described and claimed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the device in side elevation attached to the under side of a thill with the harness-lug shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 shows a fragmentary detail view of the latch end of the bail, illustrating in cross-section the engagement of the locking-bolt therewith, the parts being inverted. Fig. 3 shows a fragmentary detail view of the end of the locking-bolt, the latch at the end of the swinging bail being shown in cross-section. Fig. 4 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 3, illustrating the action of the latch on the side of the bolt.

Similar letters of reference will be used throughout the specification and drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents a portion of a shaft or thill, and Bmy improved holdback attached to the under side of the thill A by means of screws C. The holdback comprises a base plate or frame I), formed, preferably, in a single casting and having 1ts under side concave or grooved in a manner well known to those familiar with this art to fit the curved under surface of the thill or shaft A. The extended end portions 6 of the base plate or frame 5 are provided with openings 6 through which pass the screws C, by means of which the device is secured to the shaft or thill A. The base-plate I) has a projecting portion 0, within which is formed a longitudinal chamber or recess 0, (represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1,)and is provided near one end with a bearing 0 and near the opposite end with a bearing 0 open at one side, forming an open socket, as indicated at o The holdback-bail (Z is substantially U-shaped, and one end thereof, cl, is threaded and projects beyonda shoulder (Z The threaded end cl passes through an aperture in the bearing 0 and within the chamber ois provided with a nut (Z and a locknut (Z by means of which the bail (Z is held to pivotally turn about an axis coincident with its threaded end d that is to say, its forward end may be moved outwardly from under the base-plate 7), so as to open the holdback for the admission of the harness-lug, and thence moved inwardly beneath the base frame 5 after the lug has been inserted therein. The other end of the bail d is provided with a shoulder and above this with a cylindrical latch end d, which at one side is notched or cut away, as shown at at. T0 securely retain the latch end of the bail in connection with the base-plate b, there is provided a sliding bolt 0, fitted to slide in a bearing 6' at the end of the projection c, a bearing 6 at the ri ht of the open socket 0*, and a bearing 0 at the left of the open socket c, the bolte being surrounded by a spiral spring 6*, one end of which bears against the inner face of the projection c and the other end against a pin 6 fitted in said bolt. The outer face of the end of the bolt 6 is beveled, as shown at 6 so that the rounded inner face d when pushed against the beveled face a may cause the bolt 6 to be forced back against the tension of the spring 6*, thus permitting the latch of the bail cl to spring past the end of the bolt in making a locking connection. For the purpose of re tracting the bolt 6 against the tension of the spring 6 it-may'be provided with any suitable head or thumb 'piece'e The operation of my improved holdback is as follows: The bail being opened, the harness-lug is placed therein and the bail then closed and securely locked, thus retaining the lug and affording means whereby the vehicle may be drawn forward or held back by-a direct connection with the saddle of the harness. Thus the traces may be dispensed with, if desired, or if used should they become detached or broken there would still be a draft connection between the harness and the vehicle. It is of course understood that the breeching also may be dispensed with; butif used they may be connected also with the holdback.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A holdback comprising-a base-1plate, a bail having one of its arms pivotally mounted bail having one-0f itsarms pivotally mounted in said base-plate, a substantially cylindrical notched latch formed upon the end of the other arm of said bail, an-open socket'in said base-plate arranged to receive said latch and. a sliding spring-pressed bolt provided with a beveled end arranged to extend across the open face of the socket and provided with a thumb-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses. 4

OHARLES WnGOLLY-ER. Witnesses:

T. HART ANDERSON, MARY A. KKENNEY. 

